Mining-car coupling



April 7, 1925.

. 1,532,887 E. A. CUNNINGHAM ET AL MINING CAR COUPLING Filed June 12. 1923 (22%.

lnven'bors Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR A. CUNNINGHAM AND HARRY HOMAD, OF MALLORY, WEST VIRGINIA.

MINING-CAR COUPLING.

Application filed June 12,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR A. CUNNING- HAM and HARRY HoMAn, citizens of the United States, residing at Mallory, inthe county of Logan and State. of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in hIining-Car Couplings, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car couplings and more particularly to that class known as mining car couplin j The present invention has for its objects among others to provide a simple, cheap, yet efficient and reliable mining car coupling which is automatic in the action of coupling but which will effectually and reliably hold the two cars incoupled relation, allowing suliicient relative movement of the two cars while in motion, and to permit them to readily round a curve without separation. 4

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention, in its preferred form, is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing tions of adjacent ends of two mining equipped with our improved coupling.

Figure 2 is a substantially central tical longitudinal section through the p e- Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the coupling bar or link removed.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the different views.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1 designate the adjacent ends of two mining cars of known or any approved form of construc tion except as hereinafter specified. 2, 2 are the wheels thereof and 3, 3 the end portions of the platform of the cars, the same being provided with bumpers 4, as usual.

As the coupling members on each car are similar in all respects, the description of one will suffice for both.

5 is a housing which may or may not have a side opening, as shown at. 6, for acporcars 1923. Serial No 644,879.

see F i'gure 2, this locking member havingan offset portion 12 providing a flat face 13 which is adapted to engage a shoulder 14 formed at one end of the longitudinal recess 15 in the under side of the coupling bar or.

link 16, as seen in Figures 2 and 4. This coupling bar or link is provided with such recess 15 near eachend, as clearly shown in said Figures Qand 4. i

mounted in the side portions of the housing,

17 is an unlocking lever secured to the shaft 11 adapted to be operated in any suit-' able way, either from the ground or by a person on the car. It is shown as provided with a counterweight 18 at one end to normally keep the locking lever in locked po sition, which is that indicated by full lines in Figure 2.

The locking member 12 may be secured to its shaft 11 in any suitable manner, but in the present instance we have chosen to show it as secured by a screw or the like 19, see Figure 2, and in order to provide ready access to such screw we provide the lower wall of the flaring mouth with an opening 20, as

seen in Figure 2. 7

In order to guide the coupling bar or link in position and also to hold it against undue movements and yet resiliently engage thesame, we provide springs 21, in the present instance shown as three in number, 211- though. more or less may be employed if desired, these springs being secured at one end by any suitable means,-as the screws or the like 22, to the inner walls of the housing and the other ends being free and curved,

as seen in Figure 2, and adapted to embrace the inner end of the coupling bar or link upon three sides thereof. f

The coupling bar or link 16 is shown as provided upon its upper face with a lug 23,

one near each end; which 1s adapted to be received in the notch or recess 24 in the mouth of the housmg, as seen clearly in Figures 2 and 3.

lVith the parts constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbetore described, the

operation should be readily understood, and, briefly stated, is as follows:the coupling v bar orlink will normally be locked in position within one of the coupling heads ready for coupling with the adjacent part. As the cars approach, the free end of the coupling bar or' link entering the flaring mouth of the car to be coupled will be guided into proper position regardless of whether the two cars are in longitudinal alinement or not, the locking member serving to hold the engaged end of the' coupling bar or link against separation regardless of the movements of the coupling bar or link. As the drops and the cars are coupled. The coupling is such that the cars cannot become separated under any condition until the attendant moves the weighted lever soas to throw the coupling member from its full line to its dotted line position, when the cars can be separated. 1

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

YVhat is claimed as new is 1. In. a miningcar coupling, a housing member having a flaring mouth, a weighted locking member pivotally mounted within said mouth and having an offset portion with square shoulder, a. coupling bar with longitudinal recess in its under-face with-a shoulder, againstwhich said fiat shoulder engages, and a. spring extended inwardly in said member and bearing on the inner end of the coupling bar.

2. In a mining car coupling, a housing member having a flaring mouth, and having an offset portion with fiat face, a coupling bar with longitudinal recess in its under face with a shoulder against which said fiat face engages, a spring extended inwardly insaid member and bearing on the inner end of the coupling'bar, the top wall ofsaid housing member having a notch in its under side and the coupling bar having-an 11pwardly extending lug engaged in said notch.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.v

'EDGAR A. CUNNINGHAM.

HARRY HOMAD. 

